Texas Faces a Big Problem with Abandoned Oil Wells.

In Texas, there's a big problem lurking beneath the ground: abandoned oil wells, often called "zombie wells."

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These wells were once used to get oil, but now they're left alone, leaking harmful stuff like methane gas into the air and water.

@zombiewellz Welcome to zombie wells TikTok - documenting oil & gas wells springing back to life and wreaking havoc on the environment. #zombiewells #spookyseason #spookylake #txlege #texas #fyp #learnontiktok ♬ Scary stories, horror footage, halloween sati - RYOpianoforte

Environment Killer

So why are these wells a big deal? Well, when companies drill for oil, they sometimes leave behind these wells when they're done. These abandoned wells can be bad news because they let out a lot of methane, which is not good for the environment and makes the air dirty. They can also mess up the water that people drink by leaking chemicals into it.

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Thousands

The scary part is how many of these zombie wells are out there. There are thousands of them in Texas, and there could be even more that we don't know about yet. It's tough for the government to keep track of them all and make sure they're not causing any problems.

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Fixing the Problem

But people are trying to fix the problem. Some groups are working hard to make rules to stop companies from leaving behind these wells in the first place. Others are trying to clean up the ones that are already causing trouble. It's a big job, but it's important to keep Texas safe from these hidden dangers.

So next time you see an old oil well in Texas, remember that it might be more than just a rusty old thing—it could be a part of a big problem that needs fixing.

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